Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has paid 602,800 zloty for ad spots on Telewizja Republika, a move criticized by opponents as an attempt to control the media.
The Law and Justice (PiS) party signed a contract with Telewizja Republika on May 12 for 602,800 zloty to air ad spots from June 2 to June 30, with an option to extend until August 31.
PiS treasurer Henryk Kowalczyk stated that the party chose Telewizja Republika due to its high viewership among conservative audiences, which aligns with PiS’s voter base.
The content of the ad spots paid for by PiS was not disclosed by Telewizja Republika or Kowalczyk. According to “Rzeczpospolita,” the ad spots were set to air starting the day after the second round of presidential elections.
Dariusz Joński, a European Parliament member from the Civic Coalition, criticized the move, saying it proves PiS is building its own, controlled television network. He emphasized that directly funding ad spots from PiS’s bank account undermines the station’s independence.
